1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for cutting a continuous slide fastener chain into individual fastener product lengths.
In the manufacture of slide fasteners, it is the customary practice to make a continuous chain of a pair of so-called "stringers" each comprising of a support tape carrying along a beaded edge thereof a row of coupling fastener elements, to provide element-free gaps at predetermined intervals in and along the beaded edges of the tape, and to cut the fastener chain into individual fastener lengths at the gaps, thereby providing tape ends which are devoid of coupling elements for attachment thereon of fastener parts such as sliders and end stops to complete the formation of commercial product fasteners.
2. Prior Art
In the art of cutting a slide fastener chain into individual product lengths to which the present invention relates, to this end there have been proposed various machines, a typical example of which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,754,908. This patent shows a machine comprising a vertically movable cutter and an anvil cooperating therewith to cut the fastener chain as desired, a pair of feed rolls disposed forwardly of the cutter and a pair of delivery rolls disposed rearwardly of the cutter. One of the feed rolls is a driven roll and the other is a follower roll normally resting on the driven roll; the driven and follower rolls coact to feed the fastener chain. Likewise, one of the delivery rolls is a driven roll and the other is a follower roll normally resting on the driven roll; the driven and follower rolls coact to deliver the cut length of the fastener chain. While this prior art machine is satisfactory in respect of delivering the cut length of chain out of the machine, there is encountered a problem in the feeding of an un-cut chain end from the feed-roll side to the delivery-roll side where the tape end is curled or rolled, which is usually the case with fastener chains taken up and stored on a reel. The reeled fastener chain tends to maintain its curled posture even after it is unreeled; the chain with the curled end raised advances and it is hence difficult for it to enter into and through the pair of delivery rolls forwardly of the cutter and it is therefore prone to move away, off the guideway of the machine.